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Avondhu reporter, Ellen Lynch, explains just why she comes over all funny when she sees a man in a suit!

There's a Confirmation coming up in the family, so, over the weekend I got down the suit for the man of the house, to check its preparedness.

It was grand, I was pleased to see. Only because I'd rescued it from the back of a chair at the wedding venue we were last at and on the same night took it from the back seat of the car where'd it'd be still if I hadn't.

I'd given it a good brushing with a clothes brush, did the same with the trousers and folded them neatly before hanging both on a hangar and encasing them in their specially appointed garment bag, zipping it up and putting it away safely in the wardrobe.

I like suits you see. Men never look better than when they’re attired in a nice suit, I think. Jeans and shirts are fine, as casual wear goes, polo shirts and combats less so, and track pants and football jerseys, well, let's not even go there. But show me a man in a nice suit and I come over all funny.

I’m not really talking here about the men who have to wear suits for work. Maybe it’s the everyday usage that renders them mundane, their casual comfort in them because they are everyday apparel that lessens the stylish impact, or it could just be that they are rumpled, cheap suits that have gone shiny through prolonged wear that spoils the look.

I’m talking about a guy getting dressed up in a good suit for an occasion, be it a wedding, christening, or funeral, or any of the special occasions in between. Fellas we don’t see ordinarily in suits. The impact is all the greater when we do.

The darker the better as far as I’m concerned. The exceptions being brown which there should be a special law against and plain black which should only ever be worn for funerals and black tie events. Speaking of funerals, I’m old fashioned enough to still believe that there is no greater mark of respect for the deceased than for those attending to dress formally and in black. There’s just something about a suit that denotes dignity and deference at such times.

Otherwise dark navy, charcoal grey or black softened with a pinstripe are the colours that I like best. Just not a BIG pinstripe. Dressing like a Mafia don is never a good look. Single or double breasted, I’m not fussy, as long as it looks well.

We often hear men grumble about having to wear a suit for  dressy-up occasions. Why? Do they genuinely believe them to be uncomfortable? How can they be, if they fit properly? If a man’s got a gut, his pants are going to sit in the same place as his jeans, or track-suit bottoms, i.e. down underneath his belly. I think suits actually look better than casual attire on men carrying extra weight.

Besides, putting a man in a suit instantly transforms him. We women can have a nice dress but we still have to do the hair, the makeup, the shoes, the accessories, to complete the package. What right have men to complain about merely slipping into a jacket and pants for sartorial success?

It may seem strange, given my penchant for men in suits, but I didn't used to like tuxedos. Until last year that is, when my man had to wear one for the black tie People of the Year Awards we planned to attend. I approached the subject tentatively, not sure how we would react.

A lot of men don't seem to like wearing them. To my relief he said he didn't mind. In fact he was comfortable with the idea and because of that he looked comfortable in it. He didn't even mind the dickie bow. He looked very, very handsome. I practically swooned and very nearly needed the smelling salts. Clothes maketh the man indeed!

I like nice shirts too, but I have fairly fixed views on them. (Noooo you say! Surely not, Ellen - fixed views? You?} I think they should come in white, blue and … well that’s it, actually. No pinks, definitely no purples, no burgundys, and absolutely, positively no yellows!

Ties should be plain or striped, no other designs should be entertained. Novelty ties? A definite no-no. Shoes are another important consideration. Black only please! Nothing else should be considered.

As for socks, do I even need to say that the black-only rule should also apply? Unless the suit is dark navy or charcoal grey in which case very dark versions of the same colour socks might just be permissible by special dispensation.

There was a time when buying a suit constituted a major purchase, and an expensive one. Not any more. Decent quality suits can now be bought off the peg in lots of stores. And by that I don't mean cheap, or nasty. I mean quality yet affordable.

That said, I think there should be at least one time in a man’s life when he invests in a bespoke suit. That way a good fit is guaranteed. After that, knowing the proper size to fit, it’s easier to buy cheaper versions. The trick is for those who wear them regularly to discard them as soon as they begin to look shabby or shiny. The trick for those who wear them only irregularly is to keep them clean, dust-free and in good shape by hanging them properly on a decent wooden hanger and protecting them with a garment bag.

A good few years ago my eldest son was going to a debs in county Waterford. He planned to change into his hired suit at a friend's house when he got there. When he arrived and opened the garment bag, he found, to his horror, that he'd forgotten the shirt. That was despite me asking him a hundred times before he left the house if he had everything. He rang me in a panic. I drove an hour and a half to get it to him and an hour and a half back home again. Only because I didn't want the effect of him in his lovely suit spoiled by wearing an ill-fitting borrowed shirt.

When I arrived down at my youngest son's school a few years ago to take photos of him and his lovely date on their debs, he whispered to me that he was sorry he hadn't worn a waistcoat. A lot of the other lads had them.

'Leave it to me' I told him and dashed away to a friend's bridal shop. She also did suit hire. I picked out two I thought would suit the suit and raced back. He picked one, donned it on the spot and we were both happy. Somewhere along the way that night he lost it.

Last October, in a hotel in Kinsale, I went over to the hotel room where both sons were getting suited up. The eldest was getting married and the youngest was a groomsman. I arrived with my trusty clothes brush to ensure all was speck-free.

I stopped at the doorway. There they were, with the other groomsmen, all resplendent in their suits. It was a sight to behold. Despite being of varying heights and sizes, they looked classy and elegant. All of them. The photos of my boys in suits that day are among my favourites.

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